European patent application No. 0,066,695 corresponds to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,446,098 and 4,441,242 and discloses an apparatus for pulling individual fuel rods from irradiated fuel elements which are removed and stored after a certain period of irradiation. In addition to the fuel rods, the fuel element frame remains which constitutes the structural parts of the fuel element. The fuel rods are either cut for a follow-up reprocessing or are loaded into special storage containers. In this connection, reference may be made to the publication "Atomwirtschaft", Feb. 1970, page 90. The fuel element frame must be channelled for storage and must be placed in a container suitable for storage.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,680,159 discloses a storage container for accommodating individual fuel rods with a special insert basket which is provided for accommodating scrap which occurs when the fuel rods are separated from the fuel element. The insert basket is accommodated in the center of a square shaft in the container. The structural parts of the fuel element are filled into the quadratic center shaft.
For the economic use of containers receiving radioactive material and radioactive contaminated articles, it is advantageous to compact the fuel element frame in order to obtain a reduction in volume.
German Patent No. 3,213,497 discloses a method for compacting crushed radioactive waste materials wherein compaction occurs in a container made of sheet steel. The container is filled with the crushed radioactive waste materials and is thereafter provided with a cover made of sheet steel and compacted to a steel encased body. Although this method is usable for crushed radioactive material, it cannot be carried out with respect to fuel element frames which have a length of almost five meters.